Jats hint at withdrawal of stir by Thursday

The Jat community, which has been
agitating to press their demand for a quota in Central
government jobs, on Wednesday hinted at withdrawal of their stir by
Thursday after a government assurance to look into the issue.

New Delhi: The Jat community, which has been
agitating to press their demand for a quota in Central
government jobs, on Wednesday hinted at withdrawal of their stir by
Thursday after a government assurance to look into the issue.

After an hour-long meeting with Home Minister P
Chidambaram and Social Justice Minister Mukul Wasnik, a
delegation of Jat leaders said that they would hold a meeting
of their `core committee` by this evening or tomorrow where
the request of the Central government to suspend the agitation
would be discussed.

"The Home Minister told us that the government needs
two-three days time to discuss our demand. He also requested
us to suspend our agitation. We will discuss it among
ourselves in the evening or tomorrow morning and let them
know," leader of the Jat delegation Yashpal Malik told
reporters here.

Describing their meeting with Chidambaram and Wasnik as
"positive", Malik said the Union ministers told them that
another round of meeting would be held within three-four days
as the demand for inclusion of Jats in the Central government
list of OBCs would be discussed with the Ministry of Law and
other relevant wings of the government.

"As of now our agitation is on. But we will review it
following the government assurance," he said.

The protesting Jats in Uttar Pradesh and Haryana have
been demanding reservation in Central government jobs under
OBC category.

The decision to hold talks with the agitating Jats was
taken at a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Political
Affairs (CCPA) chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.
Attorney General Goolam Vahanvati was also present at the
meeting.

The over a week-long Jat stir has badly hit the rail
movement with protesters squatting on rail tracks disrupting
movement of trains in various parts of North India.

Jats have threatened to cut all essential supplies to
Delhi if their demands are not met by March 17. Agitators have
also threatened plan to block the supply of oil from Mathura
refinery to Delhi.